John Hamilton joins Kestrel Group

John Hamilton, former Director of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, has joined Kestrel Group as a crisis and emergency management consultant.

Karen Stephens, Director Kestrel Group, says John has been at the forefront of emergency management in New Zealand for many years and is a welcome addition to the Kestrel team.

For John the opportunity to share his knowledge and expertise more widely was too good to ignore.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to apply the experience I have to a wider sector without the pressure of managing a particular response on a day-to-day basis. I’m attuned now to the fact that in New Zealand we do face a range of risks and one way to deal with risk is to be well prepared.”

John says his role at Kestrel will do just that – help others prepare their crisis and emergency management plans and give them the opportunity to test these out with simulated crisis exercises.

Prior to his eight year stint at the helm of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, John served 35 years in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).

John was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1981 for his service to the Queen as an Equerry, was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001 for leading the planning for the New Zealand deployment to East Timor, and in 2006 he was promoted to Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in recognition of his leadership as Chief of Air Force.

Wellington based Kestrel Group are leaders in the fields of business continuity, crisis management and emergency management and also provide advice in relation to risk reduction for buildings and infrastructure.

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